WORK IN WOOL STORES

Southland Times, Issue 23047, 14 November 1936, Page 8

WORK IN WOOL STORES

Five-Day Week Will Be Observed EMPLOYERS’ OBJECTIONS TO POLICY (United Press Association.) Wellington, November 13. A statement that with the exception of those in the Nelson district, workers in wool, grain and hide stores throughout the Dominion intended to begin the observance of a five-day week as from tomorrow, and that there would be no work done in stores tomorrow morning was made today by the secretary of the union, Mr J. Tucker. He indicated that this state of affairs would continue until extra remuneration was offered for work done on Saturday. Mr Tucker said that if a 44-hour week, as claimed by the employers, was to be enforced, without extra pay at a reasonable and fair rate for four hours on Saturday, the workers concerned would be denied the same privileges as were enjoyed by their fellow workers. One section of workers working a 44-hour and another a 40-hour week must breed discontent and dissatisfaction. Invited to comment on Mr Tucker’s statement, Mr A. E. Mabin, president of the New Zealand Wool Brokers’ Association, said that the workers knew as well as anyone that wool sales could not be carried on on a basis of a fiveday week. If such a course were followed, the whole transport situation would become congested. Farmers would be hampered in trucking wool, for the reason that a delay in unloading wool at the stores would prevent them having empty trucks returned immediately for further loads. Apart from the railways, which would be very seriously affected if there were a 40-hour week in operation in the wool stores, the work of harbour boards, shipping companies and other concerns handling wool would be hampered. So far as hides were concerned, they had to be dealt with immediately they were received from the abattoirs. Hides from beasts killed early on Saturday morning had to be dealt with right away, for they would be rotten if left until Monday before treatment.